Podcast regulars and Practice Manager extraordinaires Robyn Clark and Nicola Davies return for the next instalment of our joint Practice Index / Ockham Healthcare podcast series. This week, the panel reflect on what the world of general practice might look like after the so-called ‘freedom day’ on 19th July. What will the initial changes be to their practices and practice locally (if any)? What are the longer-term impacts likely to be on staff, workload and on patients? What have we learned as a result of the pandemic that we can carry forward to the next, critical phase of working in primary care? And importantly, how can the IGPM support the practice management community with the demands of the upcoming winter months ahead?

Introductions (32 secs)

Robyn and Nicola’s initial thoughts about the change in Covid guidelines (38 secs)

Face mask policy approach (1 min 40 secs)

The call from the new Health Secretary to “embrace risk” (2 mins 17 secs)

Current level of demand in general practice (3 mins 43 secs)

Preparing for the winter months (5 mins 23 secs)

Looking ahead to the next phase of the enhanced service (6 mins 37 secs)

Is it possible for general practice to deliver the Covid vaccination boosters and meet the QOF targets? (9 mins 41 secs)

Does meeting the additional workload come at a cost to core general practice output? (11 mins 36 secs)

Enhanced service impact on flu vaccinations (13 mins 15 secs)

What are the barriers to network working? (15 mins 51 secs)

Are GP practices increasingly collaborative and less competitive as a result of the pandemic? (17 mins 5 secs)

IGPM update and how the IGPM will be supporting general practice through the next critical phase (17 mins 56 secs)

For more information and to sign up to become a member of the IGPM, please find the website here

Practice Index’s website can be found here

For all enquiries, please contact James Dillon here

Following on from our recent episode about the difference Health and Wellbeing Coaches can make in supporting patients with a non-medical approach (and continuing with our podcast series following the progression of those working within the additional roles), we introduce you to Newcastle GP Services’ and the north east’s original Health and Wellbeing Coach Frazer Solomon. With a long history of related care within the private sector, Frazer explains why his services are the perfect fit in primary care and how, despite his newness to public health, he has already been able to transform the lives of the patients he treats.

Introduction (46 secs)

What is a Health and Wellbeing Coach? (57 secs)

Linking with the wider team (1 min 58 secs)

Shaping the role (2 mins 24 secs)

Patient support groups (3 mins 52 secs)

Expansion of Frazer’s remit (4 mins 47 secs)

Team working (6 mins 5 secs)

Referral pathway (6 mins 45 secs)

PCN construct (7 mins 48 secs)

A disparity in practice referral numbers (8 mins 6 secs)

The importance of promotion and exposure of the role (9 mins 17 secs)

Work base (10 mins 19 secs)

Positive feedback and results (11 mins 2 secs)

What’s the most rewarding part of the job? (12 mins 8 secs)

Caseload numbers and patient management (12 mins 57 secs)

Support networks (13 mins 33 secs)

Establishment of a health and wellbeing team (14 mins 16 secs)

Service development (15 mins 17 secs)

The key components of a Health and Wellbeing person spec. (16 mins 30 secs)

Supporting Health and Wellbeing Coaches to succeed (17 mins 30 secs)

Another reminder that If you are interested in joining the PCN Clinical Director mastermind group programme which Rachel Morris and Ben have setup, or have any questions, please email ben@ockham.healthcare or rachel@shapestoolkit.com – or please check out our dedicated page here.

Social prescribing is already proving its worth in many practices up and down the country. It is traditionally embedded and under the control of the PCN or health authority but what about when provision of the service is by way of a third-party organisation? Edberts House is a charitable, community-based project in Gateshead who have long been involved in supporting the health and well-being needs of their local populations. It is a testament to their success that they are now responsible for the provision of social prescribing link workers to the health authorities in their area and it is a model that they believe is undoubtedly the most effective in giving the most vulnerable access to fully holistic care. Jackie Jamieson is the Community Linking Project Manager at Edberts House and speaks to Ben about how the third-party model works in practice, the benefits of the model and the impact they are making on the practices they work with - and their patients.

Introductions (33 secs)

What is Edberts House? (43 secs)

How social prescribing at Edberts House was born (1 min 24 secs)

The population and PCNs Edberts House cover (2 mins 41 secs)

How the service works in practice (3 mins 19 secs)

Staffing bases (4 mins 24 secs)

Referral process (5 mins 6 secs)

The role of the social prescriber (5 mins 42 secs)

Caseload numbers (7 mins 7 secs)

Relationships with the PCNs (7 mins 46 secs)

Funding and finance structure (9 mins 17 secs)

Partnership recruitment (9 mins 17 secs)

Meeting referral benchmarks (10 mins 31 secs)

Referral numbers (11 mins 40 secs)

How are the team at Edberts House making a difference? (12 mins 59 secs)

Feedback from practices (14 mins 39 secs)

Linking with other additional roles (15 mins 27 secs)

Planning for the future (16 mins 38 secs)

Are partnership models more likely to succeed? (18 mins 30 secs)

Getting in touch (19 mins 6 secs)

For more information, the Edberts House website is here

Another reminder that If you are interested in joining the PCN Clinical Director mastermind group programme which Rachel Morris and Ben have setup, or have any questions, please email ben@ockham.healthcare or rachel@shapestoolkit.com – or please check out our dedicated page here.

It’s the next episode in our series of podcasts dedicated to the new roles in primary care. This week, our spotlight is on the relatively newly formed Selby Town PCN care coordination team. Ben is joined by Clinical Director Dr Nick Jackson, Fiona Bell-Morritt, Lead Officer at NHS Vale of York CCG, Dementia Care Coordinator Helen Brazil and Frailty Care Coordinator Alice Houlden to explore the overwhelmingly positive impact the care coordinators are making on the wider team and in particular on the vulnerable members of their patient community. From the beginning of their journey, and the adoption of a population health management strategy, to recruitment and development of the care coordination team, an overview of the role itself and the work that’s encompassed, the benefits on offer to both the internal teams and externally, and the lessons learned; our episode today is testament to the powerful influence that the new roles can make.

Introductions (29 secs)

Selby Town PCN (49 secs)

Why did the PCN team decide to recruit their care coordinators? (1 min 29 secs)

First impressions (1 min 54 secs)

Introducing Fiona (2 mins 15 secs)

Fiona’s role in supporting the introduction of the care coordinators (3 mins 1 sec)

Identifying vulnerable patient groups (3 mins 32 secs)

Hearing from Helen (3 mins 54 secs)

Helen’s previous work experience and why the care coordination role was so appealing (4 mins 14 secs)

The evolution of Helen’s role (4 mins 59 secs)

What is care coordination? From Helen’s point of view (7 mins 56 secs)

Alice’s perspective (9 mins 27 secs)

Alice’s background and why she was attracted to the care coordination role (9 mins 45 secs)

The reality of being a care coordinator (10 mins 15 secs)

Responsibility for Selby Town’s frail population (11 mins 29 secs)

Describing the nature of Alice’s work (12 mins 5 secs)

Practice versus PCN? (12 mins 59 secs)

Measuring success (13 mins 44 secs)

Internal and external benefits (14 mins 47 secs)

The difference that can be made to patients’ lives (15 mins 53 secs)

Impact on other practice staff (19 mins 10 secs)

Developing the service (20 mins 10 secs)

Reflections and lessons learned…starting with Fiona (20 mins 53 secs)

Advice from Nick (22 mins 19 secs)

Helen’s top tips (22 mins 48 secs)

A final word from Alice (24 mins 24 secs)

Another reminder that If you are interested in joining the PCN Clinical Director mastermind group programme which Rachel Morris and Ben have setup, or have any questions, please email ben@ockham.healthcare or rachel@shapestoolkit.com – or please check out our dedicated page here.